


Where is the lie?

by SoManyJacks



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Persona 5: The Royal, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Pining, That Rank 8 scene hits hard in p5r
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28959750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoManyJacks/pseuds/SoManyJacks
Summary: Short snippet that takes place the day after Akechi's Rank 8 scene in Persona 5 Royal.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	Where is the lie?

The piece of chalk hit Akira square in the face. He blinked slowly, belatedly rubbing his forehead where it stung. 

A shimmer of whispers rippled through the class:  _ what? why didn’t he dodge? he didn’t even try! what’s up with him? _

Even Ushimaru-san seemed embarrassed on his behalf. “Ah, forget it, I’ll ask someone who’s brain is on this planet. Mishima-kun, you answer, since Kurusu-kun is currently on the moon.”

Akira tried to focus, he really did. But after about a minute, Ushimaru’s droning blather faded into the background, overpowered by the memory of his conversation with Goro last night. 

It had started with a game of pool -- Akira finally won a round. But then it all went downhill from there, until....

_ He hates me. He  _ **_hates_ ** _ me. _ Akira simply couldn’t stop rolling the words over in his mind, as if he could somehow tumble them smooth like stones.

But nothing could soften the memory of the loathing expression on Goro’s face.  _ He hates me. _

Everything else felt muted and distant in comparison. Akira stumbled through the rest of his day, numb.

“Yo, what’s bonk- holy shit dude, you look like hell.” Ryuji recoiled in shock as Akira wandered up to him in the hallway after class.

“Do I?”  _ He hates me. _

“Uh, yeah bro. What happened?”

_ He hates me is what happened.  _ It was bad enough he was spending so much time with Goro alone. The others thought it was a good idea -- keep your friends close and your enemies closer or whatever. But they didn’t know how much Akira enjoyed it, how badly he hoped that Akechi would somehow come around, abandon his plan, maybe even become a Phantom Thief for real.

But that daydream was crushed now.  _ He hates me. _

“Yo, you in there, buddy?”

Akira looked up, startled. “Sorry. Sorry. What’s up? Wanna train or something?” He attempted a carefree smile but it felt all wrong, sickly-sweet and sticky, smeared across his face like bad makeup.

Ryuji frowned. “Dude. What’s botherin’ you, man? You know you can tell me anything.”

Akira opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn’t say it. Ryuji wouldn’t understand at all. 

After a pause, Ryuji tilted his head. “Uh, maybe you should go see Dr. Maruki? Like I know that counseling stuff’s all bullshit, but at least you can get shit off your chest, you know? I saw him hanging around in the hallway before. You know it’d make his day if you gave him somethin’ to do.” He gave a lopsided grin.

“I -- yeah. Okay.” Akira nodded woodenly. 

Maruki was, as promised, ostensibly supervising the comings and goings of the students near the health office. His face lit up as Akira approached. “Ah, Kurusu-kun, just who I was -- wow, you look like you really need a snack,” he said. “Didn’t you eat lunch?”

Akira let Maruki usher him into the office, closing the door behind them. As the counselor fussed around at the cabinets to fetch something to eat, Akira sank onto the couch. 

“So, I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but it seems like something’s troubling you,” Maruki said, proffering a bowl of snacks.

Akira took a packet of pretzels and turned them over in his hand. Automatically, he opened the bag, but didn’t eat any, instead staring down without seeing it. He had no idea how to explain the situation without revealing that he was in fact the leader of the Phantom Thieves, much less that Goro Akechi was an elite cognitive assassin and not an Ace Detective. But he had to say  _ something. _ “Yeah, I guess,” he finally managed.

“Are you able to tell me? Sometimes that’s easier said than done, I know.”

Thinking about it just made him tired. The numbness which had blanketed him since last night was beginning to tatter; stronger emotions threatened to break free. While Akira knew, intellectually, that it was okay to express his feelings in front of Maruki, that didn’t mean he was eager to do so. “I... don’t know.”

Maruki nodded. He took a comically loud slurp from his juice box. 

Akira looked up at him, baffled. 

“Sorry,” Maruki said meekly. “So hard to get the last bit out of the bottom, you know?”

“He hates me,” Akira blurted out. 

Maruki kept his expression neutral. “Who hates you?”

Akira took a deep breath and shook his head. 

“Alright, that’s fine. Is it a peer? Or a teacher or something?”

“A -- a peer.”  _ Not even a friend. Never that. Because he hates you. _

“I see,” Maruki nodded again. To his credit, his tone was sympathetic. “May I ask how you learned this? Because if it was on social media or something --”

“He... he told me. To my face. He said, ‘I hate you.’” Akira winced as a sudden ache flashed through his chest. 

Maruki’s eyes widened. “Is that all he said?”

Akira shook his head. “He also said that I irritated him because... I guess just because of who I am. And because I beat him in a game of pool, and.... But I only tried so hard to get good because I wanted to... ugh.” When Maruki didn’t respond, Akira went on. “Then he... no, it doesn’t matter.”

“Are you sure? I’d say if it matters to you, it matters to me.”

Akira huffed at the platitude. “It’s hard to explain but he -- he threw a glove at me. He’s, um, a little dramatic sometimes.” His lips twitched without mirth. 

“A... glove? Was he challenging you to a duel?” Maruki laughed, though the sound died away when Akira shot him a guilty glance. “Oh. I see. Well that certainly is dramatic, as you say.”

There was a long pause as Maruki rifled through the bowl of treats, taking his time to decide on a packet of wasabi peas. He tore the little bag open with a flourish of crinkling and fished out a pea, crunching it loudly between his teeth. 

Akira frowned slightly. Maruki wasn’t taking this seriously at all. Ugh, it was stupid to think that talking about it would help in the slightest. He should just go. If he left now, he could still get some studying done in the library before --

“Can I ask you something? This friend of yours. Is he known for being truthful?”

Startled from his thoughts, Akira struggled to focus. “What?”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about, of course,” Maruki said. “But would you say this person tells the truth? Some people lie all the time, you know.” He popped another few peas into his mouth. “Not just to other people, either. It’s very easy to lie to oneself.”

Akira blinked. It felt like a fog was lifting. “No. No, he’s not truthful at all. In fact he lies constantly. About nearly everything.” He sat up straight, his shoulders relaxing for the first time in nearly a day as the weight lifted off him. 

Maruki’s eyebrows shot up. He laughed, the sound turning into a cough as he inhaled a bit of wasabi. “Sorry, sorry,” he said, pounding his chest. “Um, it’s not my place to say, but are you sure you want to take the word of a known liar? Maybe he’s got his own reasons for saying what he said, you know.”

“He’s been lying to me from the very beginning,” Akira said, half to himself. “Of course. Of  _ course.”  _ He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glove, staring at it in wonder. 

“Er, my apologies, but I do have to caution you that it  _ might  _ be in your best interest to limit your time with someone who never tells the truth,” Maruki pointed out. 

Akira hummed in acknowledgement, not really listening. What if Akechi had been lying? After all, almost every word that came from his mouth was a lie of some sort. Why should this be any different? If it was a lie, then he didn’t  _ hate  _ Akira. In fact maybe he --

Abruptly, Akira leapt to his feet. “Thanks, Dr. Maruki,” Akira said, dipping his head. “I feel a lot better. I’ve got to go.” He shuffled out without waiting for a reply.

Maruki jumped up too. “Wait, your pretzel-- ah well.” He held up the open bag of snacks, but Akira was already out the door. With a shrug, Maruki sat back down and helped himself to a pretzel. “Interesting,” he mused. “Very, very interesting.”


End file.
